And three-tenths to k



Feb. 3, 1931.

P. L. G EER LIQUID ATOMIZING AND AERATING DEVICE Filed July 51, 1929 @Mfd 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

' ATTORNEY P. L. GEER LIQUID ATOMIZING AND AERATING DEVICE Filed July 31, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 nun Ill!

INVENT R. BY we M mats Fest, 1931 "um-ran s'r res PATENT. -'oer1cr I 1,790,804 I .1 v

men n GEEK-01' ALBANY, CALIFORNIA, AssroNon. or T REE-Turns TO. WESLEY It.

c LIroRNm,

ANn THR E-Tamas TO M. c. NaANx,

. LIQUID ATOMIZINGAND AEEATINQJSEVIGE Application filed July 81,

Theinvention relates to a device for atomizing and aerating liquids for subsequent c onveyance thereof through pipes and the l-1'ke. -An object of the invention is to provide a 3 device of the class described wherein a prefiow of the liquid constituent isprevented when the discharge of the aerating med um therefrom is initiated.-

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the class described in whlch clogging is automatically and posit vely prevented when viscous or sedimentary llqu d are to be atomized and aerated. 4

A further object of the invention is to pro- I 1; vide a device which may be disposed at a point remote from the point of discharge of the mixture and yet is arranged to be automatically controlle from said' latter point.

, .Yet another ob'ect is to provide a devlce a of the class described which 1s particularly adapted for preparing and discharging. spray painting mixtures and the hke for general application to surfaces.

The invention possesses other objects and 2| features of advantage,-some of which, with the foregoing, will beset forth or be apparent in the following description of a preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of a typ cal instal lation of the device, part being in section.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary and the pipe 4 and the bores of the element 17 that I containing a liquid 8 such'as an asphaltic emulsion, and said-tank and the pipe 5 are connected with a pipe 9 from any suitable source- (not shown) of compressed air where- .1'929. slim o. 882,408

by the impressed. pressures in the" tank 7 and \pipe 5 are alike.

' Referring to the disclosed structure of the mixing device 3, said device comprises a casng providing pressure compartments 11 and 12 separated by a flexible diaphragm 13, such ts reinforced rubber, and respectively connected'with-the pipes 4 and 5 whereby said compartments are arranged to respectivel receive and contain the liquid and air. Pre erably and as shown, the diaphragm partition 13 is arranged for clamping between generally circlflar and axially separable casing portions 14 and 15, the opposed casing portions" being appropriately cupped or otherwise formed to provide for a certain degree of a ial displacement of the central diaphra portion between certain limiting positions thereof. As articularly shown in full lines in Figure 2, t e diaphragm 13 is in one of its limiting positions and thelother limiting position thereof is mdicated in dash lines.

axial orifice 21 of cylindrical bore, said orifice being so much smaller than the'bore of pressure-impelled liquid passing therethrough from the com artment 11 will be projected therefrom ad. high velocity in a sharply defined stream of small diameter.

The casing portion 15 is provided with a v tubular and axial-boss 22 which is externally threaded at its, free end for the mounting thereonof a cap member 23'; As shown, the boss 22 is integrally related to the casing portion 15 and'its cavlty communicates with the compartment 12. Openings 24 and 25 extend radiallythrough'the boss 22 from the cavity 00 thereof and the pipe is threadedly engaged in the opening 24 for supplying air to said cavity and the compartment 12. For supply-' ing liquid'to the compartment 11, the wall of the casing portion 14 is.provided with an inlet opening 26 opposite the compartment 11 for the threaded reception of the dischaiifie e end of the liquid supply pipe 4. A suita throttle valve 27 is interposed in the air. pipe 5 for a purpose to be hereinafter brought out.

It will now be noted that air from the compartment 12 is arranged to be mixed with the liquid discharged from the orifice 21. Ac-

cordingly, and as shown, the opening of the boss 22 is connected with the .outer pas-- sage portion 28 of the element 17 by means of of the air and liquid therein, the outer end' of the passage 28 is conically contracted in the general manner of a venturi-orifice and a tube 32 is extended axially from about the orifice 21 to a terminationat the contracted passage portion. The bore of the tube 32 appreciably exceeds that of the orifice 21' with which it registers and the outside diameter of said" tu e at its discharge end is but slightly smaller than the passage thereat whereby the air 4o passage 28 is provided in a removable end" from the pipe 29 is arranged to be discharged into the stream of liquid emitted from the tube in a conical and forwardly directed sheet. Asparticularly shown, the tube 32 is threadedly mounted on the partition 19 of the element and-the contracted portion of the section 33' of the element 17 said section being threaded at its outer extremity for conmotion with the discharge pipe 6. It is noted that limitation to the. disclosed device for aerating the stream of liquid discharged from the orifice 21 is not intended, the disclosure being presented as merely illustrative of a preferred structure for the purpose.

The disposition of the diaphragm 13 in the chamber ointly provided by the com artments 11 and 12 and partitioned there y' is determined by the relative pressures in the said compartments, and means are accordingly provided for controlling the orifice 21 in accordance with the disposition of said diaphragm. As particularl shown, the pipe 6 discharges into a hose 34 avin a shut-off valve 35 at its discharge endan beihgarranged to carry a nozzle (not shown) or other discharge device beyond valve, said hose constituting, and beingcbnsldered for present purposes, an extension of the pipe 6.- When, as shown, the valve 351s open, a continuous mixing and discharge of the liquid and air is arranged to occur and the orifice 211 The other limiting It will be'noted that when the valve-35 is open, the pressure in the air compartment 12 will be less than that in the liquid compartment 11 whereby the diaphragm 13 will assume the position illustrated wherein the capacity of the compartment 11 is a maximum and that of the compartment 12 a minimum. The pressure difference thus provided may be increased to any desired degree by throttling the air supply to the compartment 12 by use'of the valve 27 in the air supply pipe 5. A member 36 is removably mounted on the diaphragm 13 to extend axially therethrough and therefrom, said member providing at the extremity thereof within he compartment the orifice 21. Underfluid flow conditions, the plunger 37 is withdrawn from theorifice 21 as shown. The member 36 is generally cylindrical and is guided for axial movement by reason of its engagement in the bores of guide rings 38' and 39 provided in the casing portions 14 and 15; as shown, the ring 38 is (held in fixed position by reason of its jointengagement by and between the casing portion 14 and element 17, while the ring 39 comprises an integral partition at the inner end of the boss 22 of the casing portion 15. Both of said guide rings are perforated at other points than their guide openings to permit a free fluid flow'thereby.

, A spring seat member 41 is mounted at the extremity of the member 36 within the boss 22of the casing portion 15, and a compression spring 42 is operatively engaged between the 'seat member 41 and the cap 23, it bein noted that the effective spring pressure may e adjustedb means of the cap. When the plunger 37 is ully engaged in the orifice 21, t preferably extends slightly therefrom, such being one limiting -position thereof. position of the plunger r is that when it is ully withdrawn, and stop means are accordingly provided for limiting the plunger to movements between said posit-ions. Preferably, and for a reason to be hereinafter brought out, the stop means are provided externally of, the liquid compartment 11. As particular-1 disclosed, the gulde ring 39, serves as a ed stop against OPPOSitGLSldGS of which the spring seat member 41 and a collar 43 provided on the member 36 are arranged to respectivelyengage when the plunger is engaged-in and withdrawn from theorifice 21. In this manner,

the axial displacement of the plunger is lim- 1ted independently of the effective pressure difference between the opposite sides of the diaphragm.

With the device discharging the mixed fluid,the difference in fluid compartments 11 and 12 is a ranged to expressures in the ceed the resistance of the spring12 whereby the plunger 37 is held fully withdrawn from the orifice 21 for permittinga freeliquid flow through the valve is closed,the air pressure in the com-j partment 12 will build up whereby, proaches equality with that in the ment'll, the spring 42 is arra'nged to uncas it aptiolrtddisposihe plunger 37 inorifice closing position and so shut'ofi' any flow throu h' the orifice. A reopening of the valve 35 Wlll "for the first'instant causea discharge of air which lackslaxzhargeo'ffthe atomized liquid,

after "which the liquid will become mixed with the air in desired full strength. Inthis B manner,'the discharge-of un-aera'ted liquid is positively prevented at all times, the plunger acting .as a valve plug with respect to the orifice21. i

It will be particularly notedthat the pres ent apparatus is specifically designed for-use I come clogge 7 er 37 is cut- 1n the spraycoating art wherein more or less viscous liquids must be atomized and, discharged as an air-borne sprayfagainst a wall or -floor surface to be coated, -With apparatus heretofore generally, used,'the necessarily small liquid assages in-atomizers tend to be 5 through coating with the liq-- uid to be dischargedand somust be fr equent- 1y cleaned with consequent loss in efiiciency and cost of operation. With the present device, however, the forward end of the plungthe orifice 21 it actually'cleans\ out the same to its full size and .for its full length. In this manner, each flowstoppag is arranged to automatically'etfect'a cleam (if the orifice 21 and the plunger-37 efie'cts ts plu ging to revent clogging thereof by th6' iquid whil e the device is out of use but still con nected to the supply tank 7 and air pipe'-9. Should .the effect of cloggin while themixture is being ischarged, an-

operator need only momentarily shut off the stream at his station, as by closing the valve 35 or a nozzle for the pipe 6, and theorifice 21 is automatically'cleared-in theman'ner described; @It willthus be apparent that the atomizing and aerating of asuitable-liquid;

is arranged to be accomnlishedwith the pres 5 ent device in a particularly positive vandefficient manner, and that the-action of the device isat the same time controlled at and from the discharge end otf the pipe 6,.

Besides being u ful in the applicationbf viscous aint solu ions, havin .chemica bases, the present usable to-discharge sedimentary fluids such. as mixtures of water with kalsomines or'hv-' draulic cement.- .Oraeratedwater may com artthrough and from the wi h 91f square or even concavedly' cupped whereby as it movesforwardly into claim and a casing providing a discharge be'apparent asphalticj or evice is also e sthfl Hid. produced thereby formrxlng with a cement.

at its point of discharge-from the pipe q in nozzles such as are disclosed b me 'copending application, Serial entirely free of sediment or carbonates. It

-1 ;48 filed August 17, 1927, 'it being noted that thewater which would be used would seldom be .willthus be clear that the orifice cleaning function of the' plunger 37 is a major feature ofn'oveltyof the present disclosure under all circumstances of'usethereof and equals or" even exceeds 111 mportance the-valve functioning thereof. Since depos its mayoccur on thesurfaces within the liquid compartment methodof operation will be readily understood bythoseskilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation,

the device which I now'consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire'to have it understood that the device shown is mere 'ly illustrative and that such changes may be ings, the advantages of the construction and together i made,;whe'n desired,,asfall within'the scope of the appended claims.

Patent ofvtheUnited States the following:

1. In a device 7 a liquid for subsequent'conve ance through a closed passage controlled by Having thus described my invention, r.

des'ireto secure by Letters shut-off; valve,

orifice for the for atomizing and aerating liquidand a mixing chamber connected .with

said passagleand into which theiliquid is are discharged from said orifice, a-

ran ed to plunger member for closing ngagement in sa1 orifice, and meansautomati'cally.oper

ative to engage said plungerfinember in said r a v 2. In a device for atomizingi' and aerating 7 a liquid-fogsnbsequent a closed passage controlled by alshut-ofivalve, a cam i streams of the liquid and air are arranged to A \be dischar ed for mixing, an orifice through conveyance throug' -'providing a chamber into which which the quid is arranged'to be discharged into said chamber in atomized form, a plungand. upon a closingof said shutsaid plunger beingarranged to engage the orifice bore during its insertion,

inthe orifice for scraping any deposit fromfsaidbore. i

r engag'eablein said "orifice forclosing "the same and means actuatgd in accordance with pressures in'both said streamsfor controlling the positioningef said plunger.

whereby the same is arranged to be auto constantly open duct connecting the air compartment with the mixing chamber, a dis- I charge orifice connecting the liquid compartment with said mixing chamber, a plunger for engagement in said orifice, means operable in accordance with the relative pressure conditions in said compartments to variably dispose said diaphragm in said pressure a casing providing av mixing chamber discharging into said passage and into which streams of liquid and air are arranged to be discharged under pressure for mixin there in, a valve controlling the flow of the said liquid stream to said chamber, and means controlled jointly' by the pressures in both said streams for closing said-second valve by and upon a closing of said shut-off valve, and to thereafter open said second valve following an opening of the shut-01f valve.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

. PAUL L. GEER.

chamber, and means connecting said plunger with said diaphragm for operation thereby.

4. In a device for atomizing and aeratin a liquid, a casing providing a pressure cham er and a mixing'chamber, a diaphragm dividing said pressure chamber into separate compartments, said compartments being respectively arranged for connection with a I source of liquid under pressure and a source of air under pressure, a duct connect-. ing the air compartment with the mixing chamber, a discharge orifice connectin' the I liquid compartment with said mixing 0 amher, a plunger for engagement in said orifice, means operable in accordance with the relmixing chamber.

- phra m i whereby the 'fluid ative pressure conditions in said compartments to variably dispose said diaphragm in said pressure chamber, and means connecting said plunger with said diaphragm for op eration therebywhereby said plunger is arranged to be disengaged from said orifice solely during the discharge of material irom said 5. In a device for atomizing a liquid and mixing the same with a' carrier gas for conveyance through a closed passage controlled by a shut-off valve, a casing providing a pressure chamber and a mixing chamber, a'dia posite sides thereof, said compartments being res ctively connected with a source of as un er pressure and 'a source ofhquld un er pressure, passages connectin said comp art,-

ments with said mixing c amber, 1 means rilressure insaid ga's compartment is less t an that in said 'hqu d partition dividing saidpressure. cham lier into separate compartments at opcompartment when said shTIt-oflt' valve is v 7 open, and valve means in the passage from the the liquid compartment arranged to be operated by-said diaphragm whereb said latter passage is normally open and is c upon a closure of said shut-off valve.

6. In a device of atomizing and aeratin a liquid for subsequent conveyance throug a closed passage controlled by a shut-ofi valve,

osed by and 

